Sunderland and Durham schools to be hit by teachers’ strike action

SCHOOLS across Sunderland and County Durham are likely to shut when teachers take strike action next month.

The two largest teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers, NUT, and the NASUWT, the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, have confirmed they will be taking joint regional industrial action on two days in October.

On Thursday, October 17, there will be walkouts in schools across the North East of England, London, the South East and South West.

Prior to this on Tuesday, October 1, teachers across Eastern England, the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside areas will be striking.

The unions, which jointly represent 90 per cent of teachers, say the action is part of their campaign to protect teachers and defend education and claim they follow the Secretary of State’s continued refusal to genuinely engage with them to seek to resolve disputes over changes to pay, pensions, working conditions and jobs.

On the strike days teachers will be attending a series of regional rallies to demonstrate their anger, frustration and concern.

These latest regional strike plans follow a one-day strike in June in the North West of England and the unions are also planning a one-day all-out national strike before the end of the autumn term, but a date has yet to be announced.

Education Secretary Michael Gove says there is “no excuse” for the strikes.